Trigon plots international comeback

By Tim Parker

Jul 31 2014 12:00AM

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Nut manufacturer Trigon is stepping up its assault on the UK and international snack markets after being snapped up by Natco Foods last year.

Merseyside-based Trigon – famous for its Big D and Planters brands – slipped into administration in 2013 but has reformed as ‘Trigon Snacks Trading’ with a fresh new image and exciting plans to grow its market share at home and abroad.

Natco Foods – part of the Choithram & Sons group, completed an eleventh-hour deal for Trigon in October, saving 110 jobs in the process. A well-established supplier of ethnic foods, Natco specialises in herbs and spices, as well as snacks, rice, nuts and seeds, which it sells to retailers across the UK.

Luke Pagarani, Managing Director for Natco Foods, said: “Trigon built up a great reputation as one of the best own-branded snacking and wholefoods nuts manufacturers in the UK, so we were delighted to bring them into the Natco family.

“If Natco hadn’t bought the business and the factory had to close, that would have been a terribly unjust result for its employees and a significant blow to the local area. We fell in love with Trigon from our very first visit and were amazed by the atmosphere in the factory; you could see the passion and dedication of the staff and that gave us the confidence to buy the business.

“Production never actually stopped and the team has continued to service ‘own label’ goods for many of the UK’s major supermarkets, including Waitrose, ASDA, Morrisons, Aldi and Sainsbury’s.

“We’ve got some really exciting plans and product launches in the pipeline for the Big D and Planters ranges too. We’ve been extending the Big D range, bringing in more crunchy-coated and honey-roast peanuts that taste better than anything else in the market, and we’re also planning on refreshing the Planters range in the UK to bring it in to line with the USA where Planters is the number one nut brand.”

Operating from its processing hub in Buckingham, Natco Foods is a family-run business with over 50 years of industry experience. The company is also committed to environmentally aware policies and worldwide community service responsibilities through the Choithram Group and has access to more than 20 international markets.Luke added: “In the past, Trigon had little access into export markets but through the Choithram Group we are able to use our network to send snacks all around the world, exporting the established brands and developing own label relations outside of the UK.

“Trigon is coming back stronger than ever and we’re focused on sustainable growth from targeted customers, through a mixture of own label sales and further development of the Trigon brands.

“The business has retained its flexibility and precise industry specific experience, but with the backing of Natco and the Choithram Group and the security and international knowledge that brings, Trigon is now ideally placed to establish a strong foothold in the international market place.”

For further information, please contact Jenny Trelfa or Lee Cullen on 01244 320677 or email jenny@thinkdewinter.co.uk / Lee@thinkdewinter.co.uk About Trigon Snacks TradingPart of the Choithram Group, sister company of Natco Foods Ltd, Trigon Snacks Trading is one of the top three own branded snacking and wholefoods nuts manufacturers in the UK, servicing all of the top five retailers in the UK. The company also offer to the global market our brands - Planters (licensed UK & EIRE), Big D (owned), and Welco (owned).